2021 marks the year when the workplace will shift after the pandemic negatively impacted workers, employers and caused countless employment losses all around the world. In 2020, entire thriving industries were forced to suddenly close their doors – unfortunately, many for good. Many countries have not yet recovered while a select few were able to mitigate COVID-19 and return to relative normality. However, with the worldwide economic landscape continuing to grow at a moderate rate, corporations are striving to adapt and make returning to the office a priority. The goal of such is to promote efficiency, maintain employee happiness, and provide enhanced health and safety measures.
The question on the minds of many businesses is how to enable productivity in an environment that is emerging from lockdown, as organizations search for ways to maintain profitability and promote efficiency.
The Hybrid Work Model, What Is It?
Recently, we have seen a lot of data and promotion of new innovative ways of working. Hybrid work is the new buzz term and it is heavily desired across most industries worldwide. Workers in the hybrid workplace model have the freedom to work where they are most productive: in the office, from a remote location (most notably from home), or a mix of both. A hybrid workplace’s most critical pillars are efficiency, team collaboration and support. The hybrid workplace of today differs significantly from the hybrid or remote job structure of the past in three distinctive ways:
- Days spent in the workplace vs. days spent at home are not (necessarily) planned ahead of time.
- The proportion of workers who work in an office to those who work from home has changed.
- In a hybrid workplace, a much higher percentage of employees work remotely as a rule, not an exception.
From 9-to-5 to 3-2-2
The movement back and forth between the workplace and the home office will be crucial to this changing pattern. How do businesses make the most of their available space? And when is it going to happen? It’s a complicated spectrum that’s influenced by personality as well as role – both in terms of purpose and obligation. The move from the 9-to-5 to the 3-2-2 workweek schedule, which allows employees to spend three days at home, two days at work, and two days off, is one option being discussed in hybrid workplaces. The principle is the same if you spend three days in the workplace and two days working from home. Individual employees will have different expectations for the type of schedule and workplace that will be most beneficial to them.
A Gartner, Inc. survey of 317 CFOs and Finance leaders on March 30, 2020 revealed that 74% will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post-COVID 19. Moreover, other statistics from Survey Monkey & Zoom Poll show that hybrid work is the future. Their survey was conducted of over 1,500 remote workers, to better understand what people think, feel, need, and expect about the future of work and returning to the workplace. 65% of respondents who have been working from home over the past year said that a hybrid work environment was their ideal work model. Of that 65%, 33% said they prefer to work mostly from the office, while 32% prefer to work mostly from home.
What Hybrid Work Means For Corporations
It’s important to note that many offices have transitioned to be somewhat hybrid in the past, but the mix between in-office and remote staff will be very different in a post pandemic world. Aside from an increase in the number of remote employees in general, the transition between in-office and remote workers will be a complex challenge. For this, there are few steps that can be taken from corporations for their long-term growth and sustainability.
To better serve the hybrid model, workplaces will naturally evolve into collaborative hubs, shedding most of the space for individual workspaces in favor of a range of meeting and collaboration spaces designed to accommodate varying meeting sizes and team members who are present. Employee connectivity with the ability to join from an overflow space, or participating remotely, will be a necessity. When it comes to technology, AV and IT will need to be flexible and transparent on who is where and when. For this to occur, remote workers will need resources, facilities, and solutions that enable them to work the same when at home or at the office. Organizations must endorse flexible work models in order to meet the needs of these workers. This includes the addition of more meeting rooms, now commonly referred to as Huddle Spaces, over cubicles and single person workstations or clusters.
Hot Desking
Hot desking is another smart tool that businesses can use to promote the hybrid work model. This tool allows employees to self-service and book a shared desk space within a corporate office. Softwares like Skedda, Office Space, Chargifi, and Meetio, bring together strategies required for corporations to handle the scheduling of shared desk space – including interactive floor plans and maps. Restaurants provide an excellent example of how a hot desking solution can operate in a corporate environment, that is easily grasped. Customers book their table in advance, (or they wait until it’s ready to use). After each use, the table gets sanitized and prepared for someone else. Because hybrid work requires modifications, it is better for corporations to start rapidly preparing for both remote and in-person workplaces. Coworking spaces made popular by organizations like WeWork already deploy a similar model, which will continue to adapt and reflect new requirements post-pandemic.
Video Collaboration
Video Conferencing solutions are one of the primary technology necessities that hybrid workers need to work efficiently and effectively from home, office and abroad. The importance of audiovisual technology and collaboration in any successful company has long been recognized, but with a hybrid work model, this necessity is amplified. Communication and collaboration are critical business practices, particularly for teams working in different locations. Flexible work is here to stay, and video conferencing solutions like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Pexip are critical for encouraging both formal and informal communication among your employees. They offer the solutions to break down barriers between organizations to make it easier to communicate and collaborate while working within the hybrid model.
It’s one thing to use collaborative software to handle a remote workforce; it’s quite another to figure out how to use it efficiently to navigate the future of work. Organizations that do so and deploy professional AV solutions within their environments will cultivate a healthier and more efficient hybrid workforce.
In conclusion, hybrid work is here to stay. How organizations adopt and deploy still remains to be seen, much of which will likely be through trial error and will vary greatly based on size and industry. Businesses poised to prosper post-pandemic will lead the charge in enabling workers to operate remotely, while businesses who delay and postpone their progressive measures may be faced with great difficulties and challenges that may not be overcome.
Limitless AV provides custom collaborative technology solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes, including work-from-home bundles and packages. Our team of experts is here to help you make the transition to the new normal and navigate these uncertain times with confidence and safety. Don’t hesitate to connect with us for any questions you may have about audiovisual integrated solutions for your business’ specific needs. Continue to stay safe, and be well!
